Brighouse and Rastrick brass band outplays the rest to be named the nation’s best

The countless hours of practice and a journey to London was worth it for the Brighouse and Rastrick brass band which has been crowned the best in the country at the end of an exhausting contest.

B&R drew 20th and final place in the running order at the Royal Albert Hall at the final of National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain on Saturday, but held their nerve to record a hugely satisfying victory as they were declared national champions for the third time in their history.

Brighouse and Rastrick brass Band (Picture: Gordon Ratcliffe)

Yorkshire was also represented by the City of Bradford and Black Dyke brass bands, but it was Brighouse and Rastrick who stole the show with what turned out to be a double triumph.

Cornet player Kathleen Gaspoz, a student from Luxembourg who is playing with the outfit while studying at the Royal Northern College of Music, won the only individual award for best instrumentalist after a stand out performance in the band’s 15-minute rendition of Howard Snell’s Gallery.

Brighouse and Rastrick will play at a homecoming concert at Huddersfield Town Hall on October 28 at 7.15pm featuring Lancashire’s Foden’s Band.